Prairie and Northern Region

Overview:

The Prairie and Northern Region covers diverse geography, including the Rocky Mountains, the Prairies, the Canadian Shield and the Arctic.

The Region is home to eight National Airport System airports (Calgary, Edmonton, Iqaluit, Regina, Saskatoon, Whitehorse, Winnipeg, and Yellowknife). In addition, there are 215 certified aerodromes/airports in the region and 358 air operators. This network supports the transportation of people and goods, including significant air cargo movements to support northern re-supply. WestJet’s headquarters are in Calgary, and StandardAero, one of the world’s largest independent providers of aircraft turbine engine services, headquarters are in Winnipeg.

In the North there are 145,000 kilometres of coastline and Transport Canada’s Prairie and Northern Region is responsible for the oversight of all vessels traversing Arctic waters, including cruise ships and Arctic re-supply companies.

There are three large ports located in the Region (Churchill, Iqaluit and Milne Inlet) with the Port of Churchill being the only rail-serviced deep water port in North America that accesses the Arctic Ocean.

The Region has three Class I railroads (Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, BNSF) and two passenger rail operators: VIA Rail that operates on 19,426 km of federally regulated track and Hudson Bay Railway that operates to the port of Churchill. Prairie and Northern Region has 10,514 road/rail crossings as well as 25 short-line rail companies. Canadian National’s training facility is in Winnipeg and the Canadian Pacific’s headquarters are in Calgary. Both Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP) have their Rail traffic control centers for the entire country in the Region (CN in Edmonton, CP in Calgary). Additionally, the Region provides oversight of the transportation of dangerous goods cargo by air, marine and rail.

Profile:

Shari Currie

Shari Currie

Regional Director General, Prairie and Northern Region

Bio

Shari Currie - Regional Director General, Prairie and Northern Region

Shari Currie

Shari Currie was appointed the Regional Director General of the Prairie and Northern Region on December 15, 2017.

Shari has extensive experience in policy and regulatory development, consultation and engagement, operations and management in the academic, not-for-profit and public sectors. From 2009 to 2017, Shari focused primarily on aviation safety and security as the Regional Director, Civil Aviation – Pacific, responsible for oversight of the aviation sector. Prior to that role, she held the position of Director of Policy and Regulatory Services, Civil Aviation, where she concentrated on strengthening the aviation safety regulatory framework, as well as the position of Director of Air Cargo Security, Aviation Security, where she led program design and implementation and was heavily involved in the adoption of more stringent security requirements by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Prior to joining Transport Canada, Shari held positions at Public Safety Canada, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Department of National Defence, as well as the Parliamentary Centre and its subsidiary office, the Centre for Legislative Exchange.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree (Honours) from the University of Manitoba and a Certificate in Public Sector Leadership and Governance from the University of Ottawa.

Regional Director General: Shari Currie

Number of Employees: 442

Offices: 7

  • Regional Headquarters are in Winnipeg, MB
  • 6 offices within the Region:
    • Calgary, AB
    • Edmonton, AB
    • Saskatoon, SK
    • Whitehorse, YK
    • Yellowknife, NT
    • an office in Iqaluit, NU, set to open early next fiscal year

Transport Canada owned asset:

  • One TC-owned and operated airport in Churchill, MB